The surge: “Hello we must be going…”
Groucho Marx had a signature greeting song, always good for a laugh: “Hello I Must Be Going:” Hello, I must be going I cannot stay I came to say I must be going I’m glad I came But just the … Continue reading →
neo
What price diversity?
Today the Supreme Court has handed down this decision blocking attempts by the public school administrations of Seattle and Louisville to reassign students solely on the basis of race in an attempt at greater diversity. Here’s the NY Times’ summary … Continue reading →
A mighty poor documentary
I haven’t seen it and probably won’t, because I don’t go to the movies often and this one doesn’t sound very good. And reading this review of the Danny Pearl story “A Mighty Heart” only reinforces that notion. Daniel Pearl’s … Continue reading →
If war is not the answer, what is?
You’ve all seen those posters and bumper stickers: “War is not the answer.” You’ve also seen discussions of why those sporting them are incorrect; war has solved some things and provided answers to certain questions—such as whether, for example, there … Continue reading →
Who put the Cialis in socialism?
Ymarsakar asks why my blog refuses to accept any and all comments featuring the word “socialism.” Well, I certainly had no idea! It was never my intent! I wasn’t even there! Blame it on WordPress! Blame it on….Cialis. Cialis? The … Continue reading →
The unintended consequences of teaching expurgated history
I don’t know about you, but I hated the subject “history” in school. School history courses were almost uniformly boring, and this is a source of wonder to me because history itself is almost unfailingly fascinating and even gripping. To … Continue reading →
Getting to the pointe
This is a pair of my old pointe shoes. They are from about twenty years ago, the last time I took a ballet class. I threw out the innumerable other ones, myriad shapes and sizes and makes purchased in my … Continue reading →
For the duration
In my series on al-Marri and beyond, I made some suggestions for taking prisoners in this conflict. They involved the concept of incarcerating people “for the duration,” a standard practice in warfare. But we face a special problem in this … Continue reading →
Abbas and peace: fed up with “dialogue?”
Do I detect a new tone in the rhetoric of Mahmoud Abbas, or is it just wishful thinking on my part? He’s reported to have issued some stinging criticism of his former “partners” in the ill-fated “unity” government of Palestine, … Continue reading →
Sanity Squad podcast: a two-state solution in Palestine
It’s about time for another podcast, and the Sanity Squad has obliged. Join the iconoclastic and indefatigable Dr. Sanity, the illuminating and incisive Shrink, the inimitable and yet somehow indescribable Siggy, and me (or, for the sake of alliteration, I) … Continue reading →
Dying to leave: Palestine, Lahore, and fanaticism
Donald Sensing notes that since 2000, the beginning of the Second Intifada (which followed the breakdown of Camp David, when Arafat failed to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity), Palestinians have desired to escape from Gaza and the West … Continue reading →
Stand by your man?—Ségolé¨ne Royal, Hillary, and political wives
The French legislative elections were a victory for Sarkozy and his party, but not the sort of landslide that was predicted. PJ’s correspondent in Paris, Nidra Poller, reports that the Socialist Party is far from moribund. Ségolé¨ne Royal, failed Socialist … Continue reading →